Chapter 1053 - 869: Divine Sacrifice

The Earl glanced down at the rapier with a cold snort, his tone lacking anger, only an undisguised contempt: "A group of incited commoners who think that overthrowing the Kingdom will lead to a good life. They don’t know that the true rulers of this continent have never been the Kingdom. They’re insignificant small figures. Let others handle them so as not to spoil the guests’ mood."

He waved his hand, indicating for Lloyd to take away the captive, and then turned back, offering Duke an apologetic smile: "Sorry about that. Apologies for the spectacle. It seems today isn’t fit for continued touring, let’s return to the mansion."

That evening, the Earl’s Mansion was brightly lit in the main hall.

The long table was covered with a white linen tablecloth, covered with local dishes whose names Duke couldn’t call.

There were whole birds roasted to a golden brown, their surfaces brushed with an amber-colored honey glaze; large chunks of meat stewed to a tender perfection along with bones, soaked in a rich brown sauce and quivering gently; along with various fresh fruits and vegetables and a few casks of aged wine.

The Earl sat at the head of the table, frequently raising his glass, speaking with a tone that was affectionate and leisurely, like a hospitable old host entertaining noble guests from afar.

After the dinner ended, the Earl clapped his hands, and eleven maids streamed in through the side door.

Their figures were all tall and slender, wearing matching black silk short dresses, the hem just barely covering the tops of their thighs, with necklines cut very low, revealing exquisite collarbones and full curves at their fronts.

Their long legs were enveloped in thin black stockings, reflecting a faint and soft glow under the warm yellow light of the chandelier.

They lined up before Duke, uniformly curtsying in sync, clearly trained rigorously.

"These are the finest maids in my mansion, let them serve you well tonight," the Earl’s smile remained enigmatic, and with those words, he rose to leave, aided by Lloyd as he slowly departed the dining room.

When Duke returned to the guest room arranged for him by the Earl, the eleven maids were already awaiting him inside.

The guest room was extremely spacious, with an enormous bed in the center large enough to accommodate several people, its sheets made of premium white linen, and a silver candle holder rested on the bedside table, the flame flickering lightly in the breeze, casting the room in an ambiguous and warm light.

The maids either knelt beside the bed or reclined on the settee by the window, their long legs overlapping enticingly in the candlelight, the black silk glinting softly in the dim light.

Duke stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping over each of their faces, yet there was not a hint of lust in his heart.

This Earl from the first meeting was constantly offering goodwill, accompanying on tours personally, hosting banquets, and now sending so many maids, this hospitality was excessive.

He walked slowly into the room, sitting at the bedside, gesturing for the nearest maid to come over.

The maid obediently knelt before him, slightly tilting her face up, her long legs wrapped in silk stocking together angled beneath the hem of her dress.

Duke extended his hand, his fingers lightly and slowly tracing along her hairline, behind her ear, and down her neck, tenderly as if caressing a lover, but his spiritual power probed into her body the moment his fingertips touched her skin.

No energy circuits, no spiritual power, no evidence of implanted tracking marks or mental suggestions.

He checked each maid one by one, all yielding the same result.

They were just ordinary mortal women, devoid of any tampering.

Duke paused in silence for a moment, withdrawing his fingers from the last maid’s intimate spot.

Perhaps indeed the Earl intended with this approach to purely express goodwill, perhaps these maids were truly meant as mere hospitality.

Yet caution, this habit, remained an instinct finely honed through numerous life-and-death moments, not easily relaxed due to apparent benign intentions.

He leaned back against the headboard, lightly snapped his fingers.

A subtle ripple of spiritual power silently expanded, like an extremely gentle breeze sweeping the room.

The eleven maids, almost simultaneously, felt an irresistible sleepiness overpower them, their eyelids growing heavy, their bodies softly leaning onto the bed, the settee edges, the carpet, all soon sinking into deep slumber.

Duke stood up from the bedside, gently moving a few maids slumped at the bed’s edge further inward, covering them with the blanket, then walking to the settee by the window, lifting the maid curled on the carpet to place her upon it, casually laying a thin blanket over her.

After completing these actions, he lowered his gaze to his hands, the fingertips retaining traces of the warmth and softness touched during his inspection, savoring the feel for a moment.

Then he walked to a chair on the other side of the room, sat down, closed his eyes to rest, not approaching the large bed again until dawn.

...

Several days later in the morning, Stone Crown City lay shrouded in a grayish haze of mist.

Duke stood at the window of the Earl’s Mansion guest room, gazing down at the street through the translucent crystal stone window.

The city was under lockdown, every intersection guarded by fully armed soldiers, with residents’ doors and windows tightly shut, occasionally a few pairs of eyes peering out through cracks but quickly retracting.

The entire city was silent except for the sound of disciplined footsteps echoing across the distant plaza.

On the plaza, hundreds of white-robed followers had already gathered in formation amid the mist, their garments strikingly visible in the gray morning fog, resembling a silent white phalanx.

They were surrounded by hundreds of the Earl’s armed guards, their armor gleaming coldly in the mist.